Street-railway switch.



Patented June 24, 1902.

W. J. BELL.

STREET RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Mar. 25, 1902.)

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(No Model.)

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STREET RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Mar. 25, 1902.1

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 703,037. Patented June 24, I902.

W. J. BELL.

STREET RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Mar. 25, 1902.1 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER J. BELL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEON F. MOSS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

STREET-RAILWAY SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,037, dated June 24, 1902.

Application filedMaroh 25, 1902. Serial No. 99,867. (No model.)

To all whom if; ntcty concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER J. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Railway Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to railway-switches, and contemplates the production of an improved appliance of this character adapted more especially for use in connection with surface and elevated street electric railways employing either the overhead or underground trolley connections.

An object of the invention is the provision of switch throwing and resetting mechanisms controllable by electrical devices as distinzo guished from means of a purely mechanical character.

The [nature of the improvements will be readily understood, reference being had to the following detailed description and to the 2 5 accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan View of an electric-railway switch embodying the improvements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, of the switch-operating device. Fig. 3

is a vertical sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4c is a detail View of certain of the parts of Fig. 3 in another position. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively top plan and side views of an overhead device through which the switch is thrown. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the trolley-wheel, pole, and electrical connections. Fig. 8 is a detail of the trolley-wheel and switch-resetting and circuit-breakin g device. Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively side 4.0 and plan views of the resetting and circuitbreaking device. Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view on line 11 of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a detail sectional View showing the magnet and parts in circuit with the switch-magnet.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1

1 denote the rails of the main track, and 2 2 are the branch track-rails.

3 designates the switch-point, pivoted at its inner end to one of the branch rails 2.

Suitable guard-rails are provided to guide the wheels of the car, and beneath the rails at the switch and spiked to the ties are wearplates 4 4t.

Transversely of the track near the outer end of the switch-point is a casing 5, having a cover 6 removably secured thereto by means of bolts or the like. The case is of water-tight construction and its top is preferably flush with the tops of the rails. Slidably mounted in the casing is a rod 7, made in two sections 8 9, each having at its inner end ears 1O 10, through which are loosely passed bolts 11 11, by which the sections are loosely joined together. The heads of the bolts and nuts 12 12 on the other ends limit outward movement of the rod-sections; but by reason of the loose connection the sections may be moved inwardly. The sections are guided in their movement by openings in in ner partitions and in the casing ends, the

end openings being provided with stuffingboxes 13 13 to prevent the entrance of water. The outer end of the rod-section 8 is pivotally secured to the switch-point 3, and said section is formed of telescoping parts normally extended by a coiled spring 14, interposed between shoulders on the parts. The extension of the parts is limited by a pin 15 on one of the parts engaging one end of a slot 16 in the other part, and normally the spring, which is of strong tension, operates to render the section 8 rigid; but under conditions hereinafter referred to permits the telescoping of the parts thereof.

Surrounding the rod-section 9 and interposed between a shoulder 17 thereon and one of the casing partitions is a coiled spring 18,the function of which is to press the rod 7 to the right, and thereby move the switch-point to open the main track. The shoulder, which 0 is in form of a collar, has a set-screw 19, by which to maintain the adjustment of the collar to vary the tension of the spring.

On the outer end of the rod-section 9 is a pin 20,engaging aslot 21 in one end of a switch-' throwing rail 22, the other end of the rail being pivoted at 23. Normally the rail 22 at its outer end is pressed against the adjacent main rail 1 by the rod 7 through the spring 18, and the right-hand wheels of the car in traversing the main track press the rail 22 and rod-section 9 to the left against the action of the spring without moving the switchpoint, this being permitted by the described sliding connection i between the rod-sections 8 and 9.

Pivoted to one of the 'rod-sections, at the inner end thereof, is a foot 24, the free end of which is adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the inner end ofthe other rod-section. In its raised position the foot extends between the inner ends of the rodsections and forms a rigid connection between v said sections, whereby movement of the rail 22, through engagement by the wheel-flange, effects the throwing of the switch-point to close the main track and open the branch track. The elevation of the foot, which is against the weight of the latter, is accomplished by electrical means, the construction and operation of which will now be described.

26 is an electromagnet occupying a recess 27, which is an integral extension of the easing 5, the magnet being secured in place by a ring 28, bolted or screwed to the casing around the upper end of the magnet, which end projects slightly above the ring. A packing 29 between the ring and casing prevents the entrance of water in the recess. 30 is an armature pivoted by means of a pin to cars 31 on the casing and arranged to be attracted to the magnet when the latter is energized. Extending from the armature'is an arm 32, the weight of which is greater than I he weight of the armature, whereby said arm is normally depressed. The foot 24inits low- HEtl position rests upon the arm 32, adding to its weight, and when the magnet is energized the armature is attracted and the arm is raised to elevate the foot into engagement with the'end of the rod-section 9, whereupon the switching may take place, as above related.

The magnet 26 is electrically connected, through a wire 33, with a magnet 34, located in a box 35, supported by apole or other upright at the switch. 36 is an incandescent electric lamp mounted on the outside of the box to be visible when lighted to the motorman on the approaching car, whereby to inform him that the switching is being done, it being understood that normally the lamp is unlighted. The lamp is connected in the wire 33. Leading from the other end of the magnet 34 is a wire 37, in which is a contact 38.

39 is an armature pivoted in the box to be attracted against the action of a coiled spring 40 by the magnet 34 when the latter is energized. The free end of the armature in its attracted position engages the contact 38.

Leading from the armature 39'is a wire 41, which connects with a circuit-breaking device 42, normally in engagement with the trolleywire 43. This device 42 consists of a U- shaped frame pivotally supported at its open end on a cross supporting wire or rod 44 and having at the upper and lower side of its free end metallic plates 45 46, connected together by metallic bolts 47, the plates and bolts being insulated from the frame by suitable material 48. The frame is also supported at its pivoted end on the trolley-wire by means of a bracket 49. The wire 41 is connected to one of the bolts 47, and the lower plate 46 contacts in the lowered position of the frame with the trolley-wire, as shown more clearly in Fig. 0. The wire 37 leads to a frame 50, extending crosswise of the trolley-wire and supported by the latter by bracket portions 51 51, forming a part of the frame. The frame may be further supported by connecting the wire 37 to a post at one side of the track and by connecting the other end of the frame by a wire 52 to a post at the opposite side of the track. Depending from the frame, at the opposite ends thereof, are brackets 53 54, to the lower ends of which are flexibly connected,by means of springs 56 57,inwardly extending contact-arms 58 59. These arms lap each other and are therefore in the path of the trolley-pole 60, on which are mounted contacts 61 62, the latter being in the proper position to respectively engage the arms 58 59. Leading from the contacts 61 62 are wires 63, which connect with the feed-wire 64 of the car-motor and in which are push-buttons 65 65. In the feed-wire at each end of the car is a bell 66 of the single-stroke type as distinguished from a circuit-breaking bell. The trolley-pole is provided at its upper end with the usual trolley-wheel 67.

In operation the car traverses the main track without disturbing the switch, the flanges of the wheels engaging and moving the switch-rail independently of the switchpoint and rod-section 8, as before described. To switch the car to branch track,it is necessary that the foot be elevated in the manner stated, this being accomplished through the described electrical means controlled by the motorman on the car. Vith the foot raised between the rod-sections any movement of the rail 22 by the wheel-flange is communicated to the switch-point, and if through improper adjustment or jamming of the switch-point or rod-section 8 such movement is not communicated breakage of the parts is prevented by the yielding of the joint between the parts of the section 8, the compression of the spring 14 permitting said parts to telescope. Ifthe approaching car is to switch to the branch track, the motorman presses the right-hand button, and thereby electrically charges the contact 61 on the trolley-pole. WVhen said contact engages the arm 58 on the frame 50, the current passes from the motor-feed wire 64 through the bell 66 without interruption, through the button 65 to the arm 58, from thence to the magnet 34 through the wire 37, thence through the lamp, which is thereby lighted, and through the wire 33 to the magnet 26, the core of which forms the ground. This completes the circuit, and the armature 30 is attracted to the energized magnet 26, with the result of elevating the foot 24. This electrical charge is, however, of but brief duration and would not maintain the energization of the magnet and keep the foot in elevated position. To remedy this, therefore, I provide the magnet 3% and armature 39 and connections. The electrical charge just described is sufiicientto draw the armature 39 to the magnet 34, and by the engagement of said armature with the contact 38 the current is allowed to flow from the trolley wire through the circuit-breaking device 42 and wire 41, thence through the armature 39 and contact 40 and through the magnet 34 and wire 33, with the result of maintaining the magnet 26 energized and the foot elevated until the car or train has passed the switch. The circuit is broken by the separation of the circuitbreaking device and the trolley-wire, this being accomplished after the car or train has passed the switch by the engagement and elevation of the circuit-breaker by the trolleywheel, as shown in Fig. 8.

WVhile I have shown in connection with my improvements an overhead wire and connections, obviously the improvements may be utilized in a system employing a surface or an underground wire or rail.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a switch-point, a switch-throwing device moved by the car, a yielding connection between the point and device, and electrically-controlled means for rendering such connection rigid.

2. The combination of a switch-point, a spring-pressed switch-throwin g rail, a yielding connection between the point and rail, and electrically-controlled means for rendering such connection rigid.

3. The combination of a switch point, means for throwing said point, a sectional rod between the point and means, a yielding connection between the rod-sections, and an electrically-controlled device arranged to be interposed in said connection to render the rod rigid.

&. The combination of a switch-point,a pivoted rail for throwing the switch, a sectional rod connecting the point and rail, a connection between the rods yielding in one direction, a movable foot, and electrical means for interposing said foot between the rod-sections to render the rod rigid.

5. The combination of a switch-point,a pivoted rail arranged to be engaged by a carwheel, a sectional rod connecting the point and rail, a connection between the rods yielding in one direction, a pivoted foot, an electromagnet, and an armature arranged when attracted to elevate the foot between the rodsections whereby movement of the rail is communicated to the switch-point.

6. The combination of aswitch-point,a pivoted rail arranged to be engaged by a carwheel, a sectional rod connecting the point and rail, a spring arranged to press the rail into the path of the wheel-flange, a cushioning-spring in the'rod, a yielding connection between the rodsections, and electrically controlled means for rendering said rod rigid whereby movement of the rail is communicated to the switch-point.

7. The combination of a switch-point, a switch-throwing device moved by a car, a yielding connection between the point and device, means for rendering such connection rigid, a magnet, an armature operatively connected with said means, an electric circuit including said magnet, a circuit-making device in the path of the car-trolley, and a circuit-breaking device in the path of the cartrolley. I

8. The combination of a switch-point the movement of which is controlled through the medium of an armature, a magnet arranged to attract said armature, an electric circuit connected with the magnet, a circuit-making device in the circuit arranged in the path of the car-trolley, a second magnet connected in the circuit, an armature arranged to be attracted by the second magnet, a contact in the path of the armature ,and a circuit-breaker normally in contact with the trolley-wire and arranged to be moved by the car-trolley, and a connection between the circuit-breaker and second armature.

9. The combination of a switch-point the movement of which is controlled through the medium of an armature, a magnet arranged to attract said armature, a circuit-makin g device arranged to be engaged by the car-trolley, an electric circuit in the car connecting the trolley and motor-feed wire, a circuitbreaker on the trolley-wire, and a second magnet and armature connected with the circuit-breaker and arranged to close a circuit with the trolley-wire when the circuit through the car connections is established.

10. The combination of a switch point, means by which the switch-point is moved; said means being controlled through an armature, a magnet to attract the armature, a second magnet, a wire connecting the magnets, a lamp in the wire, a circuit-making device in the path of the car-trolley, awire leading from the second magnet to the said device, a contact in said second wire, an armature arranged to be attracted by the second magnet and to engage the contact, a circuitbreaker on the trolley-wire, a wire connecting the armature and circuit-breaker, and a car-trolley connected with the motor-feed wire and carrying contacts to engage the circuit-making device.

11. The combination in an electric-railway switch, of a circuit-breaker normally in contact with the trolley-wire and arranged to be brought into circuit with the switch-controlling means, and means on the car-trolley for moving the circuit-breaker out of engagement with the trolley-wire.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER J. BELL.

\Vitnesses:

EUGENE OVERTON, E. L. KENNEY.

ICC 

